COVID-19 vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in South Carolina on April 9
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and COVID-19 vaccines in South Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases surpass 469,000
At least 469,467 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in South Carolina and 8,138 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on Thursday reported 495 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, up from 324 reported the day before.
Twenty coronavirus-related deaths were also reported Thursday.
At least 500 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Thursday, with 131 of them in intensive care units.
As of Thursday, 5.6% of COVID-19 tests were reported positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 5% or lower means there is a low level of community spread.
More than 2.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in South Carolina, and nearly 843,000 people in the state have “completed vaccination” as of Monday, when the latest data was reported.
SC lawmakers green light rent relief bill
South Carolina residents who have fallen behind on rent could soon get help from a $271 million relief bill passed by state lawmakers on Wednesday.
Funds for rent assistance will be disbursed from a COVID-19 stimulus package approved by Congress last year. Under the bill, eligible residents can receive up to a year’s worth of back rent and utility payments.
“You’ve got a lot of folks who have struggled,” said state Rep. Leon Stavrinakis, a Charleston Democrat. “Now we can get this money out there and people can start applying.”
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